Also, this is another continuation,here are Parts 1, 2, 3. And if you just need a quick refresher, Janice is launching into her life story, just after the Spera told her his.

Enjoy!!

“The orphanage—it is a strange place. It is full of cruel secrets that lurk from the corners of our bedrooms to the heart of the headmistress, or more like the orphanage dictator. I spent two years of my life living in that abysmal place. The strange thing is, I am not even an orphan.

“I suppose I had better start from the beginning—the very beginning.

“I was born to my parents as their only child. They were kind, I remember, although times of love seem centuries away, even though I lived most of my life in it. It was on my tenth birthday that my carefree life was turned upside down. I had been all dressed up for my birthday; my brown locks were braided and a small tiara was set on my head. My presents were a new doll and a lovely pen with my name engraved on it. While having a tea party with my doll in the grass outside, an expensive black buggy jolted up to our yard. Looking up from my play, I saw a short, thin lady dressed in black stepping down from the buggy, with a dark veil covering her face.

“‘I can get my parents for you, ma’am,’ I called to the mysterious woman, as I started to walk back to the house.

“‘Come here, girl,’ She coaxed, ‘I’m only a friend.’ Her voice was like a sweet fruit with a worm inside of it. Untrusting as I was of her, I was too frightened to do anything except for what she told me to.

“I dare not imagine how my parents felt when they found that I had disappeared into thin air. I can only hope they were happier than I, when that lady brought me to live at the dreadful orphanage.

“The orphanage is a terrible place full of concrete walls and cruel mistresses. We slept on mats on the floor, and were fed three tasteless meals a day. Ragged-haired girls skittered through the hallways. I quickly became one of those girls.

“But the orphanage was more than just an awful, cold building. It held secrets which I was never able to understand, one of which being why I was even there, for I, along with many others, were not orphans. Another strange secret was the headmistress’s daughter, whom I never saw, except for the time when my friend and I managed to slip out and peer through the keyhole in their cottage door, which was inside of the large enclosed area surrounding the orphanage. We observed the headmistress and her daughter for a while, and they seemed to act friendly towards each other; the headmistress even acted genuinely kind to her daughter, which was a shock to see. But never had we seen someone look as lost in their own home as those two did.

“But after two long years living in the orphanage, I had devised a plan of action. I had thoroughly explored the building and the enclosed outdoor area in my short bouts of free time, and knew of a way to escape. I also knew that after my escape, I must find my parents, somehow. And maybe, just maybe, they could rescue us.

“So here I am now, trying to do just that.”

Janice finished, the tears coming in streams down her pale cheeks. She bit her lip, “Can you help me?” she asked the Spera, who had been listening intently and quietly to her story.

Welcome!

Hi there! I'm Gracie, the blogger here at Smile and Craft AG! I'm a teen Christian girl who likes writing, art, and American Girl dolls. You can learn more about me by clicking the image! Enjoy your stay!